


A place to belong

by Collectorofhats



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Because theres no tag for just "jedi", Gen, Thaffordd (my OC)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 19:51:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14722532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Collectorofhats/pseuds/Collectorofhats
Summary: Thaffordd wanders the gardens, makes a new friend, and finds a path he might take.Part of a Fic exchange.





	A place to belong

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rens_Knight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rens_Knight/gifts).



The wind blows gently, playing with his hair and making the Nalvar grass ripple like waves in the light of Tython’s brighter moon. It carries the sweet smells of Jade rose and Queens heart from deeper in the complex, they swirl around him mixing with the sent of the damp earth and grass that rise as he walks. The smells are good, they calm his mind and silence the noise from earlier. Thaffordd knows the force should be what calms him, but it is bright and loud and often hurts, buzzing up under his skin and ringing in his head. He once tried to explain it to one of the Jedi Masters who was teaching the younglings and him, but they had only looked at him with confused sad eyes and told him the force wasn’t like that at all, so he doesn’t talk about it anymore. Thinking about it now he can feel it coming back so he starts naming the plants he passes to keep it from washing over him, like the time a pipe broke and washed away the lavender. Lorchad in its deep black, Star mist from Cularin, he likes this one, when crushed and boiled in alcohol it could heal damaged nerves. He knows this, he remembers plats well, he sometimes wishes that Master Vran‘s lessons were as easy to remember. He moves on from the Star Mist after picking one, continuing to name the flowers, Commelina, Kibo, Angel Puff, Vormur. Some of the scents are strong, some are soft, again they calm him.  
“You know a lot about the flowers here” A voice says from the shadows behind him. He jumps slightly then freezes, he didn’t hear them coming or sense them ether, Master Vran can always sense people, Thaffordd has more trouble though. But Jedi are so bright in the Force, like looking at the sun, and he shouldn’t look at the sun cause it will hurt his eyes, so maybe he shouldn’t look at jedi with the Force ether? He doesn’t know, it doesn’t matter, what matters is he did not expect the jedi to be here, so he freezes.  
“Im sorry, I did not mean to frighten you.” the jedi says and walks around to stand in front of him. They are a Rodian, a girl he thinks, but it’s not always easy to tell with the robes everyone wears.  
“Your Thaffordd right” they continue. “Master Vran said you come here a lot, I’m Ilzuma the head gardener.”  
He tilts his head at that, he hadn’t known that the Jedi Master had been telling people about him and he’s not sure how he feels about that. He likes to keep to himself most of the time, or when he want to talk he will go to Master Vran or Sajar. He’s been told he needs to meet more people, but he didn’t like most of the ones he had met, he didn’t dislike them ether, he just, didn’t, like them.  
“It’s a nice night,” they comment as they look around at the moonlight dappled plants and paths. “I can see why you would come here.”  
He nods and opens his mouth to speak but it doesn’t feel right, so he closes it and nods again. The gardener glances at him and smiles slightly.  
“Not one for conversation I see.” She says then tilts their head up to look at the stars in thought. He looks too, it’s just the same stars that he sees every night, but the gardener seems interested enough.  
“I heard you earlier though.” They finally say. “ You mentioned Star mists healing properties, not many know that.”  
He looks at her and tilts his head the other way. Why wouldn’t they he wonders, it’s a good thing to know. He waits for them to speak again but when they don’t he starts to get board. Theres a Dewy giggle bud patch here, he decides to pick one and when the gardener doesn't say anything, still, he picks more. He will make a crown of them, for Pravan he decides, he only met him a few weeks ago but he likes him, he’s not as bright as the rest. The gardner turns to watch him but doesn’t stop him and after he’s linked about half to the crown together they finally speak.  
“Would you like to help you here?” they say. “Learn more about the plants.”  
He turns and stares at her, crown momentarily forgotten as she continues.  
“Most Jedi just want to train with there sabers or use the Force to throw things. Its all well and good but they never see the gardens as a place for learning about our world, just as a place to meditate.” She sighs “I don’t know why, botany is a fascinating subject.” She's smiling at him now. “And I think it’s one that you would do well at.” She finishes.  
He blinks, surprised, and then looks down at the Giggle budds in his hands, smells their sweet sent, hears the wind in the trees. He thinks about helping it grow, about how he would be good at it. Remembers his moms potted plants and how he helped with them. He finds himself smiling back and nodding his head.  
Yes, Thaffordd thinks, he would like that.


End file.
